Chapter 3: Dead Drop
Gaston
tells Norbert of his new position as Captain of Cardinal Richelieu’s Guards. “The
King has granted the Cardinal permission to form his own company of Guards.
They will be part of the Maison du Roi. Chevaux Legeres like the King’s
Musketeers. And my first task is to find suitable recruits to form this
company. These will be the the best blades in France, Norbert. And I want my
first recruit to be you cousin.” Norbert is surprised and concerned how his
duties as a Guard will affect his career in the theatre. Gaston talks about the
good pay and the prestige, eventually succeeding in persuading Norbert to
advance himself in society by joining the newly formed Cardinal’s Guards. But
Norbert stipulates that he cannot immediately abandon his duties to Binet’s
Grand Troupe of Players.
“I
must see the play through to the finish. It is a commitment. As the Impresarios
says, the show must go on.”
Reluctantly,
Gaston agrees. Norbert then says, “That reminds me cousin, about the play. I
have heard something surprising and…disturbing” Norbert tells his cousin Gaston
about the changes to the play that his troupe is preparing and how those
changes have, no doubt coincidentally, created a seeming parody of Gaston.
Gaston does not find a seeming parody either funny or coincidental.
Norbert
takes Gaston to speak to the writer, Salvatore Machiavelli. Gaston steps forward
and says, “I am Gaston Thibault, soldier and poet” as he flourishes his large,
battered hat in a commanding gesture. Threateningly he asks Salvatore whether the
Italian intended to make fun of Gaston or whether he meant to mock Gaston’s new
patron, the Cardinal Richelieu.
Salvatore
is terrified and quickly disavows any intention of mocking either Gaston or his
Eminence the Cardinal. He claims he was forced by the Impresario to make the changes
to the play to accommodate one of the backers. He, Salvatore, resisted these
grotesque changes to his utmost, but his protests were ignored and he was overruled
by the others. Gaston grabs Salvatore by his shirt front and pushes his face
next to the Italian’s as he demands the backer’s name. Salvatore does not know
the name of the backer, “no doubt the Impresario must know.” The writer only
knows that the Impresario referred to the backer as “the Baron.” He then tells
Gaston where he might be able to find the Impresario now. While Gaston heads
for the Impresario’s office, Norbert remains behind to try and calm the shaken
Salvatore.
At
the theatre office, Gaston slams open the door. Pointing his finger at the
Impresario as if it were a dagger, he strides straight for the man as if he
would impale him to the wall. The Impresario quickly scrambles to put a sofa
between himself and this large and threatening man and begins talking…a lot.
Gaston
is nearly overwhelmed by the flood of words. He decides to try a different
approach. “I am sorry Monsieur. I failed to properly introduce myself. I am
Gaston Thibeault. Captain of the personal guard of Armand du Plessis Cardinal
Richelieu. I must ask whether you know me monsieur.” The Impresario loudly and
volubly denies that he knows Gaston or has ever met him. “Then, Monsieur you
would have no reason to ridicule me in front of all of Paris in this play of
yours would you?” The Impresario denies any such intent insisting that he is a
dramatist of the purist sort a man who lives for the theater. Gaston then says,
“So then, it must be the Cardinal you wish to ridicule. You are a brave man Monsieur
Impresario to so uphold the spirit of the theatre that you would willing suffer
in the Bastille for your artistic statement against the Cardinal and the
Bastille is very cold this time of year. Though, in the end, not so cold as the
Place de Greve.” Gaston emphasizes his statement with a chop of his hand.
For
several seconds the Impresario is struck dumb. He runs a finger around his
throat and swallows audibly. Then he volubly and vociferously denies any such
intent or any desire for such an outcome. The Impresario says, “Perhaps you
should speak to the writer.”
“I
assure you I have already done so, Monsieur. And he told me the mockery was at
your insistence. So I came here, directly.”
“Not
mine. Not mine. A minor change, merely to gratify a patron of the arts. At his
insistence I assure you.”
“That
would be the Baron. And this, Baron’s name?”
“Villemorin,
Monsieur. Baron Remy de Villmorin.”
“Well
Monsieur unless you wish to either end your days in the Bastille or …” Gaston
again makes a chopping gesture.
“No.
No, Monseiur. The Impresario has no desire for either ignoble fate.”
“Then
you cannot put on this play” says Gaston. The Impresario objects. Vociferously.
Meanwhile
Norbert, who has entered the office sometime during the discussion, takes his
cousin aside and whispers to him. “We could use the play to trap the Baron.”
Gaston
stops and thinks then says quietly to himself, “Yes the plays the thing in
which we catch the conscience of…a rat.”
“You
are right, Impresario. The show must go on.”
“Ah
Monsieur Gaston, I can see that you are a man of letters. A poet at heart. A
true patron of the… ”
Gaston,
interrupts the Impresario yet again, “In fact I am a poet. I mentioned it
earlier and the Archduchess herself has praised my poetry.”
“Archduchess?
Archduchess?”
“But
that matters not. Here is what you and your writer will do Impresario. You will
change the play to remove the offensive sections and to make the insertions I
will specify. I assure you it will be a masterpiece of the dramatic arts. All
Paris will marvel at your brilliance and your play’s success!”
“But
my backers what will they think, and these changes the scripts have been
printed and they will need to be redone, and the costume and set changes, who
is to pay for all these things Monsieur Gaston? And what will the Baron Villemorin
say and what will he do? ...He will be enraged. I fear for my safety at his
hands, for my very life…”
“As
for the costs, you have already been paid by the Baron and your other backers,
have you not?”
“Yes,
but…”
“And
I will give you an additional 200 livres which will more than cover the cost of
any new printing or incidentals. And as for the Baron, why after this play,
Monsieur Impresario, he shall not trouble you further. I, Gaston Thibeault,
give you my word.”
Gaston
then takes the Impresario to Salvatore’s rooms to make sure both parties are
clear on the next steps. Over the upcoming days, Salvatore alters the script to
make Gaston the Soldier the hero and the cowardly and villainous Baron V. the
buffoonish antagonist of the play. Gaston reviews and adds to Salvatore’s work,
creating a veritable fountain of words, lines of masterful bravura poetry[i]
for Gaston the Soldier in contrast to the sneering and sniveling dialogue of
the cowardly and cruel Baron V. The fountain of words to be punctuated by a
fountain of water from the statue of Poseidon…now directed at Baron V.
Meanwhile, over the past few weeks, Guy’s agents have continued to keep the principals in the case of the missing funds under observation. Based on this they learn that none of the principals have excessive outside spending habits or vices that would account for a need for extra cash and that Father Labarre seems to be a creature of habit with extremely regular and predictable movements. Deciding to focus efforts for a time on the Chastels, Guy assigns Father Basil Chastel to his ordinary agents while Le Serpent investigates the priest’s brother, Brian Chastel.
Father
Basil Chastel holds the office of Pastor of Mouton, a rural parish outside of
Paris. Pastor Basil is an ordinary member of the Curia of the Archbishop of
Paris. Father Signoret has already met Pastor Basil Chastel. Signoret owes
Chastel a Favor for providing Signoret with an introduction during a court
function to Archbishop Gondi (Adventure 18: The Poison Ring).
Previously in Adventure 18: The
Poison Ring
Father Signoret talks to Father Chastel,
an ordinary member of Archbishop Gondi’s Curia. In return for a future
favor, Father Chastel agrees to introduce the Jesuit to the Archbishop de Gondi,
though he warns Signoret that the Archbishop, as a supporter of the Oratorians,
who are rivals to the Jesuits, is unlikely to help Signoret. During his
introduction, Chastel makes a particular point of mentioning to the Archbishop
that Signoret is a Jesuit and that “they” are interested in the missing
diocesan funds. Gondi first looks embarrassed then angry. But Chastel suggests
“perhaps a private meeting” and the Archbishop worriedly agrees telling Chastel
to conduct Signoret “to the Green Room at Midnight.”
His brother Brian Chastel, one of the two Treasurers of the nearly bankrupt Bishop’s Club, is a widower. He had one son, who was deformed with a hunchback, one short leg, and a speech impediment. Several years ago Brian, his wife, and son went on a pilgrimage to try to heal their crippled child. But no miracle was granted. If anything, the boy became worse. While they were returning home, the three were attacked by brigands and Chastel’s wife and son were killed. Brian survived and returned to Paris. Neither he, nor his brother Basil have any extra or unusual outside expenses. In fact, Brian’s noble attire is slightly worn and years out of date.
After
being briefed by Guy, Father Signoret decides to speak to several of the Curia
members in person. He first checks to make sure that Father Delage will not
object. The Vicar General tells him that, “While the Archbishop’s decision to
close the investigation prevents me from personally pursuing this matter or
questioning my fellow Curia members, you are a Jesuit. And the Jesuits have a
separate chain of command that ultimately reports directly to Rome. Thus you
don’t fall under the authority of the Archbishop and so neither he nor I can
order you not to talk to the members of the Archbishop’s Curia should you
choose to do so in an unofficial capacity.”
“I
understand completely,” Signoret says.
He
first speaks to Father Charles de Landry. De Landry is a devout man, an
Oratorian and a follower of Monsieur Vincent de Paul. De Landry asks Signoret
“Has the Archbishop decided to reopen the investigation at last?” Signoret
tells him that the Archbishop has not. De Landry then asks “What interest can
the Society of Jesus have in this matter?”
Father
Signoret saysthat “There is no official interest…as yet. I am here as part of
an unofficial inquiry by several members of my Order.” [ii]
“Well
I hope you can find the missing funds,” says de Landry. “The loss has caused
great distress. The Poor Fund was emptied, the northwest side of the cathedral
roof still needs maintenance, and we had to ask for a special donation even to
provide for the Sunday soup line. Fortunately, Monsieur Vincent persuaded
several nobles to subscribe to the special donation.”
Signoret
asks Father de Landry if he suspects anyone or if he knows anything that may
help in his investigation. De Landry hesitates and then says that there is
something that has been troubling him. He frowns in thought as if he is trying
to come to some decision. Then his face clears as he says, “Father please hear
my confession. Forgive me father for I have sinned…” During his confession de
Landry tells Signoret that he “has harbored unkind thoughts about a fellow
Curia member and of my own ecclesiastical superior, the Archbishop, in regards
to the abrupt closure of the inquiry.” He says that “shortly after the funds
were discovered to be missing it also came to light that several pages had been
torn out of the Curia’s financial ledgers. The pages may have been removed to
conceal the theft by disguising the extent and total of the incoming Curia funds
so as to hide any shortfall. Later that day, Father de Landry entered Father de
Vassé’s room to speak to him on a separate matter and saw several ledger pages
on his desk with ragged edges – as if they had been torn from a ledger.
“While
I didn’t have a chance to examine them in detail, the columns of figures
certainly seemed like financial records. This matter is doubly concerning
because, so far as has been reported to the Curia, the missing pages have never
come to light. Yet shortly after I saw the pages, the Archbishop took control of
the investigation. And I personally saw him enter his nephew’s rooms. He must
have found the pages. I know that I owe obedience to my religious superior and
that there must be a proper explanation of events, but I confess that despite
praying on this matter I still have grave doubts and uncertainties about the
conduct of the Archbishop and his nephew.”
After
hearing Father de Landry’s confession, Father Signoret gives de Landry
absolution.
De
Landry thanks him and then gives Signoret his blessing. “May the lord God guide
your steps and may the Holy Spirit inspire your thoughts and aid you in solving
this mystery and in recovering the Curia funds for the poor.”
Sigrnoret
decides to speak next to Pastor Basil. But for some reason, almost as if someone
had guided his footsteps there, he found that the room he had entered was that of
Father de Vassé and not Pastor Chastel. Although initially surprised to see de Vassé
instead of Chastel, Signoret quickly recovers from his mistake. He reassures[iii]
the ex-Chancellor that he is there “not as part of some Jesuit scheme against
the Gondi family, but simply to uncover the truth in this matter.”
“Good.
Then perhaps you will find out who framed me.”
Father
Signoret asks de Vassé why he thinks he was framed and who he thinks may be
responsible. De Vassé says that on the night before the funds were discovered
to be missing, he received a note, unsigned, asking him to visit an invalid
member of the parish in which he is a Curate and to administer the Last Rites
to the invalid. The night was dark and rainy and it took de Vassé some time to
reach the home of the invalid. But once inside, no one in the house admitted to
sending the note or to summoning him and in fact, the invalid himself was no
worse than usual. Staying a while to pray with the family, de Vassé then trudged
back to the rectory where he promptly fell into a deep sleep. The next morning,
he was awoken by Father Labarre who had a request to withdraw funds for the
purchase of new mass books. However when de Vassé opened the treasury, they
both saw that all the funds were missing. He and Father Labarre informed the
Vicar General and the Archbishop and the Vicar General promptly began an
investigation during which he discovered the financial ledger was missing
several pages of donation and offering receipts.
De
Vassé’s uncle, the Archbishop then personally took over the case and found the
missing papers on de Vassé’s desk in his sleeping chambers. “But Father, I
assure you that I did not take those pages. Why should I? If would hide
nothing, the sum stolen well exceeded the donations recorded there. Moreover if
I had wanted to disguise donations I could have just failed to record them in
the first place. I swear to you, Father. I did not take those pages or steal
the Curia’s funds.”
“My
uncle knows I could not be guilty. I have always been loyal to the family and
would not bring disgrace on my uncles or my mother. My uncle the Archbishop thinks
this is all a plot by the enemies of the Gondi to discredit our family and to ruin
his reputation. That is why he said I must step down as Chancellor to forestall
our enemies until we can learn who did this and how. This is a chance to
discover who our hidden enemies are and who are our true friends are as well.”
“And
who do you suspect?” Signoret asked.
“As
to who else might have done it, well any of the Curia members have access to
the treasury office, but only my uncle and I had keys to the treasury. Of
course there is no reason for my uncle to take the money. The Gondi family is
quite wealthy and he and my uncle Jean-Francois[iv]
control that wealth. And as the Archbishop he can authorize expenditures of the
funds legally.”
“Of
the other Curia members, Labarre is certainly intelligent enough – why he is
only a shade less perspicacious as am I – so he is certainly capable of conceiving
such a scheme. Delage…well Delage is ruthless enough to have done as much and
more. The man is obsessed with his personal notion of discipline and is
absolutely ruthless in executing his vision. And as for Chaste,, why Chastel is
neither as intelligent as Lebarre nor as ruthless as Delage. All he has going
for him as a suspect is his long standing jealousy of me. He thought that since
his brother Brian is a Treasurer in the Bishop’s Club that somehow that made Basil
the most suitable candidate for Chancellor of the Curia. I bet that now that I
have been removed, he is using his every waking hour scheming for the
Chancellor’s spot. I’d love to get my position back to spite him if for no
other reason.”
Signoret
asked, “What about de Landry?”
“De
Landry? No…no…it couldn’t be de Landry. He seems a devout man but more
importantly he just cannot lie well or convincingly. Not to save his own life. He
just can’t seem to say anything that isn’t true without turning the oddest
color and stumbling all over his words. No it couldn’t be de Landry.”
Signoret
thanked de Vassé. As he left, he thought to himself, That was a most fortunate accident that caused me to speak to Father de
Vassé before speaking to Fathers Lebarre or Chastel.
Since Norbert has agreed to join the newly formed Cardinal’s Guards – “the Cardinals Blades”[v] – as Gaston names them. “You will need a blade of your own.” Norbert decides that he wants a big sword…a greatsword. So he and Gaston go shopping. After examining the blades in several shops, Gaston finds and points out what he quietly says is “a particularly blade, a master craft blade.” The shop keeper, who is not himself a swordsmith, says that he is willing to part with the sword for only 100L. “A very fair price,,” says Gaston. Yet Norbert is reluctant to spend the money, finding the sword very expensive, but Gaston says “Cousin, a good blade can save your life” and eventually Norbert pays for the sword.
As a routine part of his espionage activities, Guy regularly stopped by a series of dead drops used by his agents. One dead drop consisted of a loose flagstone in an alley off a main street. Chalk marks were left on a nearby wall to note when a message is waiting and are erased after pickup. A piece of chalk is left in the compartment beneath the flagstone to facilitate this process. Guy noticed the chalk mark, so he scanned the nearby street for watchers or other suspicious activity. In the crowd he spotted a large, broad-shouldered, muscular man with a hawk-like nose and a graying full beard that had been out of fashion for over twenty years. Now there’s a man who’s easy to recognize. Baron Simon d’Ile-de-Batz, Peré Joseph’s favorite agent. And a man who I suspect has no love for me. Not after leaving him tied to a tree at night by the side of the highway. The Baron ducked into the crowd and Guy followed. Although he was careful, the hour was early and there were few other pedestrians about. Guy noticed a brief hesitation by his quarry as Ile-de-Batz suddenly turned around. Although Guy turned as well it was too late. He’s made me. But he doesn’t know that I know that he knows. That being the case, I’d like to see what he does next.
Ile-de-Batz
continued on then suddenly ducked down an alley, which Guy recognized. A dead end. Either this is his destination
or it is a trap….Only one way to find out which it is. Guy followed down
the alley and though prepared for an ambush, he was still startled as he turned
the corner and found himself confronted by the Baron, who was pointing what
looked like an enormous wheelock pistol right at Guy’s face. “My that is alarming,
would you mind pointing that elsewhere?”
“Why
are you following me?” the Baron asked.
“Following
you? No, no, no. This is just a simple misunderstanding.”
“Misunderstanding?
No, I recognize you…Guy de Bourges. Well here’s something I trust you will
understand Monsieur de Bourges.” The Baron said taking a step closer so that
the pistol was mere inches from Guy’s nose. “At this range, if I pull the
trigger even your own mother won’t recognize your face.”
“Ah,
well. No need to be hasty. You see I was actually on the way to a friend’s
celebration. Surely you’ve heard the news. My dear friend, Gaston Thibeault was
just appointed the chief of Cardinal Richelieu’s personal guards. Quite the
plum assignment, wouldn’t you say? And I was on my way to join him to celebrate
when I happened to accidentally see you and thought I should invite old
Ile-de-Batz to the celebration. Sort of let bygones be bygones. Turn over a new
leaf as it were. Let you know there is no animosity etcetera, etcetera.” Guy was
reassured to see first surprise and then a certain wariness come over
Ile-de-Batz’s face.
Ile-de-Batz
said, “I never take things personally. I’m a professional and when I act, I act
for professional reasons…So you were on your way to see your friend Monsieur Thibeault?
Professionally, though that is a nice promotion for your friend, that is of no interest
to me. But speaking personally, I suggest that you go to see your friend Thibeault
and celebrate…in fact you should go…immediately.” Ile-de-Batz gestured slightly
with his pistol for Guy to leave.
Guy
left and then quickly circled around checking for a tail. No tail. Good, first a quick stop at the drop, then on to see Gaston
and the others. At the drop Guy quickly checked for watchers and this time,
seeing it was clear, he headed down the alley. But as he lifted the flagstone,
he heard the whirring grinding sound of a wheellock mechanism from just beneath
the stone. “Sacrebleu!” He said as he
quickly pushed the stone back into place and dove away from the sound. Behind
him, an explosion erupted from the dead drop and pelted him with broken stones
and flaming debris.[vi] At the alley mouth, he
quickly scanned the street. Again he spotted Ile-de-Batz who looked at him
impassively, neither pleased nor surprised. He gazed silently at Guy and then nodded
his head slowly from side-to-side twice before quickly moving off through the
gathering crowd. Guy left as well. Quickly losing himself in the crowd, he wrapped
his charred cloak around the first street person his own size that he saw and
swapped his hat for the battered chapeau on the other’s head. Now what was that supposed to mean? I’m guessing he booby trapped the drop
himself then thought better of it after I told him about Gaston. Well, if there
was a message, he has it. Nothing for it but to contact the agent directly to
see what was missed and to tell them to use a different drop from now on.
Aloud
Guy said, “I hope this doesn’t mean Peré Joseph is involved in this case. That
could make things…more complicated.”
Chapter 4: To Catch a Thief
As
the cold winds of December descend on Paris, Norbert continues rehearsals and
Gaston struggles to build an elite Guard Company for Richelieu. Meanwhile, Guy
uses his contacts at court to search for any connection between the Curia
membership and the Club suspects to either the Gondi family or to Cardinal
Richelieu. But aside from the obvious connections of the Curia membership to
the Archbishop, he uncovers nothing.
Signoret obtains the false note that requested Father de Vassé to visit an invalid to administer the Last Rites. From Father Delage he obtains samples of the writing of the members of the Curia. Signoret compares the two, but does not find a match. If I can obtain the membership roster for the Bishop’s Club, I can also compare the note to signatures of the members that are linked to the Curia. Perhaps that will reveal the thief.
Guy and Signoret ask Guy’s friend Chancie to give them access to the membership roster or other documents that have examples of the members’ handwriting or their signature. Chancie tells them that only a secretary or higher officer of the club can authorize their access. Realizing that Labarre is a club secretary, Signoret decides to question Father Labarre next. However Labarre is uncooperative. He asks what Signoret is doing here and on being told that the Jesuits are looking into the matter of the missing Curia funds, Labarre states that, “The Jesuit Order has no authority to investigate the Curia of Paris. Do you see me entering your Professed House to investigate its operations? No you do not. This Curia is under the authority of the Archbishop of Paris and until he decides to ask questions, I have nothing to say. Now I have legitimate business of the archdiocese to attend to and I must insist that you leave. “He was uncooperative,” Signoret said said to himself as he left. “And he is hiding something.”
Guy’s agent, Le Serpent, reports that he followed Brian Chastel to an unusual rendezvous. “The man he met with had a heavy brow, a beak-like nose, beady eyes, and a perpetual scowl,” Le Serpent said. “Frankly Chief, the whole time I watched him he always looked like he was ready to stab somebody. A most unsavory character. And a man either dangerous or in some danger for he had with him four large men. And they weren’t gentlemen, for they didn’t look gentle in either birth or temperament. The Scowler’s Brutes and bodyguards, I reckon.”
“Well
Chief as this was the most interesting thing I had seen Chastel do, despite the
peril to my personal safety, I moved closer to see if I could overhear their
conversation because I knew you’d be interested. And I was able to hear the
Scowler demand money of Chastel else he would reveal some ‘terrible secret.’ Them’s
the Scowler’s exact words Chief, ‘terrible secret.’ Well then this here Chastel
claims he didn’t have the money, but that given a week or so he could get it.
The Scowler was having none of that and gave him only two days, telling Chastel
to bring the money to the Brevage Noir two nights hence…or else. So there we
have it Chief. That Chastel he’s hiding something. And now, because of my
efforts we know it.”
The
name Brevage Noir (Black Brew) recalls to Father Signoret that he knows a man
named Rouleau who frequents that tavern. Signoret says, “Brevage Noir is an
unsavory tavern. I know a man who knows it well. Perhaps he can put a name to
this Scowler.” So Signoret, in the plain clothes of a gentleman, goes to the Tavern
Brevage Noir accompanied by Norbert, who is swathed in a huge cloak that
conceals a pair of pistols and his massive two-handed sword.
At
the Brevage Noir, Signoret takes a seat at a table, not far from the entrance,
where a lone man is sitting. The man fingers the hilt of his dagger as he calls
Signoret a toff and objects to his
presence at the table. To try to placate the man, Norbert sits between the two
blocking the man’s view of Signoret. This doesn’t satisfy the man who startles
them by suddenly drawing the well-used dagger from his belt and plunging it
into the tabletop between them. Seeking to avoid violence, Signoret signals for
a server and a squat, surly waitress with a deep, gravelly voice comes to their
table and asks “Waddaya want?"
“We
would like drinks for myself and my two friends,” Signoret says gesturing to
include both Norbert and the man at their table. The waitress leaves before he
can tell her what drinks to bring. Signoret notices their fellow carefully
watching the squat waitress as she pours a dark liquid from a pewter pitcher
into three much-used, leather jacks. He too watches, but fails to discern what
attracted his fellow’s eye, but he does notice that as she returns, their
tablemate sits back as if satisfied.
The
waitress plonks down the mugs saying curtly, “Black Brew.” Norbert, who pays,
is surprised at how expensive the mystery round turns out to be.
As
all three lift their mugs to sample the brew, their tablemate proposes an
unusual toast. “To crime!” Norbert and then Signoret each echo the toast.
Signoret finds the brew is sweet but with a very earthy, peaty undertone which
is much to his liking. Norbert, on the other hand, cannot stomach the concoction
and he spits his drink out onto the table top.[vii]
“What
the hell!?” complains their tablemate.
“I
don’t like the taste,” says Norbert. Their tablemate plucks his dagger from the
table then gets up in disgust and leaves, with his unfinished mug in hand.
While
Signoret continues to savor his drink, Norbert orders a beer to wash away the
taste of his. Shortly after the beer arrives, Rouleau appears at their table.
He has a large nose, a bowl-cut haircut, mustache, and beard. He is a double
amputee, missing both legs. He moves about on a low wheeled platform – hence
his knickname, “Rouleau” or roller. Rouleau offers to blacken Signoret’s boots.
While he does so, Signoret quietly questions him about the Scowler. Rouleau
tells them that the man they describe, the Scowler, “sounds like Jean Orande
who always travels with four large brutes as his bodyguards and personal
enforcers.”
“Orande
is called La Buse (the Buzzard) because of the speed and ruthlessness with
which he attacks his enemies and he is one of the major crime lords in Paris. A
year ago, La Buse was the sole survivor of a street fight between two rival
gangsters. They killed each other, and he took over both their organizations.”
Signoret
asks whether La Buse is known as a blackmailer. Rouleau says “La Buse is not a
blackmailer, but he will try anything that promises a chance for a good return.”
Signoret thanks Rouleau and gives him some coins for the service.
Guy and Signoret decide to set a trap for the thief. But to set the trap, they will need the cooperation of Archbishop Gondi. They first explain their plan to Father de Vassé, emphasizing that it provides the best opportunity to capture the real culprit and to clear de Vassé’s name. De Vasse is hesitant to speak to his uncle, the Archbishop alone. Father Signoret volunteers to accompany him, but de Vassé says that his uncle doesn’t trust the Jesuits. Instead he takes Guy with him. During the meeting, de Vassé makes an introduction then quickly turns all of the explanation over to Guy. Guy explains that the Archbishop should openly tell his Curia that a highly placed, devout noble has made a large cash donation to be placed in the Curia funds. That this noble wishes to remain anonymous for now, but that the funds soon will be used to address several pressing matters. This will cause the thief to want to act quickly while the funds are still in the Curia treasury. To simulate the funds, Guy suggests that the Archbishop transfer some of the archdiocese’s other funds into the Curia treasury. Guy and Signoret will hide in the Chancellor’s office and catch the thief red-handed and clear his nephew and the Gondi name. After consideration, the Archbishop agrees to the plan.
The
armoire in the Chancellor’s office is emptied so that Guy and Signoret can
conceal themselves inside and there they lie in wait for the thief to arrive.
Outside
Notre Dame, Norbert and Gaston take up separate positions to cut off the most
likely escape routes in case the thief eludes both Guy and Signoret. While
Norbert is waiting at a shadowy corner, he hears a woman loudly calling
“Pierre! Pierre!” The woman gets closer and then shies back as she spots
Norbert’s huge figure in the shadows. Hesitantly she steps forward and entreats
Norbert to return her son Pierre to her. Uncharacteristically, Norbert curtly
tells her to leave. This elicits a louder and more frantic appeal from the
mother. Norbert tells her to “Go home. You will find your son at home in his
own bed.”
The
woman says, “Oh Dark One, I do not know why you or your Dark Master took my
child, but whether you be demon or warlock I thank you for returning my little
Pierre to his bed. Merci! Merci!” The woman then returns the way she came.
Meanwhile,
inside the Chancellor’s office, Guy and Signoret hear the door to the office
open. Guy opens the armoire door a crack and sees a figure veiled in a monk’s
hooded cloak holding a candle in one hand. The monk stealthily approaches the
chest that holds the Curia funds. Taking a key from under his robe, the monk
unlocks the chest and removes a sack of coins. Guy and Signoret leap out of the
armoire and unsheathe their swords. As Signoret rushes to block the door, Guy
commands the monk to surrender. The monk freezes in surprise, then dashes out
his candle plunging the room into darkness. As the three blunder about in the
dark, Signoret reaches the door and shortly afterwards someone lurches into him
and, in the dark, Signoret stabs the blunderer. Guy finds a light and they see
the monk motionless and bleeding on the floor. Surprised, Signoret says, “I
think I’ve killed him…Oh, well.” Now Guy too is surprised.
Signoret
uses his training as a physician to stop the bleeding and stabilize the monk. They
recognize the monk as Brian Chastel. They search him, but other than a dagger
he is unarmed and the only incriminating item is the key he used to unlock the
treasury and that is still in the lock. Chastel remains unconscious. He has
lost a lot of blood and his wound is serious. Father Signoret suggests that
Chastel be manacled in a cell, but he is overruled on medical and compassionate
grounds and Chastel is taken to the nearby Hôtel-Dieu for care. However the
Archbishop does assign a pair of his guards to watch Chastel. Guy summons Fabré
to help Chastel’s recovery by applying healing poultices to his wound and
Norbert volunteers to help the guards keep an eye on Chastel.
Having
caught Brian Chastel red-handed, Guy and Signoret leave the Hôtel-Dieu and
cross town to break into Chastel’s house and search it. They don’t find any
large sums of money inside and they find nothing incriminating. Frustrated at
the lack of other evidence, they decide to keep Chastel’s rendezvous at the
Tavern Brevage Noir to see if they can learn anything from a meeting with the
blackmailer. It is already late and nearly time for the rendezvous with La Buse,
the Paris crime lord who is blackmailing Chastel, so Guy uses some of the
clothes in the house to disguise himself as Brian Chastel and then he and
Signoret proceed directly to the Tavern Brevage Noir.
[i] Salvatore
has writes a successful set of changes (8+3=11) while Gaston spends a FP to get
a Mighty Success (11+FP+4=16MS) the brave lines of Gaston the Soldier will ring
out throughout Paris.
[ii] In
essence, Father Signoret lies to Father de Landry.
[iii] Signoret
uses a FP to turn his roll into a Mighty Success.
[iv]
Philippe-Emmanuel
de Gondi, comte de Joigny, is the Lieutenant-general of the galleys of France
(SR 13).
[v] Les
Lames du Cardinal, see also the book of the same name by Pierre Pevel.
[vi]
Guy takes -2 Lifeblood damage from the explosion.
[vii]
Signoret gets a 9 on 2d6 and likes Black Brew while Norbert gets a 3 on 2d6 and
dislikes it intensely.
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